Yarn-guiding mechanism for straight-knitting machines



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. ESTY.

YARN GUIDING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES.

N0. 386,117. -Patented Ju1y1'7,1888.

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Y YARN GUIDING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 386,117. Patented July 17, 1888.

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(No Model.) '4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. ESTY.

YARN GUIDING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 386,117. Patented July 1'7, 1888.

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(No Model.)

W. ESTY.

YARN GUIDING. MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 386.117. Patented July 1'7 1888.

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IVILLIAM ESIY, OF LAOONIA, NE'W HAMPSHIRE.

YARN-GUIDING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINES.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,117, dated July 17,1888.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM ESTY, of Laconia, in the county of Belknapand State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Yard-Guiding Mechanism for Straight-Knitting Machines,of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

My present invention relates to that class of knitting-machines whichhave two sets of needles arranged in parallel rows opposed to eachother, or with the hooked ends of the needles in each row toward theneedles in the other row, and especially to the yarn-carrier and to themeans employed for operating the same, and is an improvement upon theinventions described in Letters Patent Nos. 371,563 and 371,564.,granted to me October 18, 1887; and it consists in certain novelfeatures of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, whichwill be readily understood by reference to the description of thedrawings and to the claims to be hereinafter given, and in which myinvention will be particularly pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an end elevation of so much of a machineembodying my invention as is necessary to a clear nnderstam'ling of thesame. Fig. 2 is a partial plan of the same parts, the needles andsinkers being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same on line00 w on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of theratchet-wheel, the pawl, and its lever for operating the endlesscamehain for adjusting the yarn-carrier stops. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofone of said stops, its bar, and the gearing for moving the same. Fig. 6is a vertical section through the cap of the yarn-carrier spindle,andshowing the yarnoarrier locking device in elevation; and Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section on line 1 3/ on Fig. 6. Figs. 6 and 7 are drawn to anenlarged scale.

In the drawings, A A are the end frames of the head of the machine.

B is the needle'bed.

O is the needle-reciprocating cam-bars,connected together by the yoke orbar D, to which power is applied to reciprocate said cam-bars throughthe medium of a lever and crank. (Not shown.)

E is a bar mounted in a fixed position above the rear needle-bed andparallel thereto, and having mounted thereon so as to be movable endwisethereof the yarn-carrier carriage F, providedwiththehorizontally-projeeting shelf F, in an opening in which isinserted from the bottom the cylindrical hub G, projecting upward fromthe block G and secured in position by the cap or casing H, screwedthereto, as shown in Fig. 6. The block G is also provided with thedownwardly-projecting hub G through which hub the block G and the hub Gextends a cylindrical bearing, in which is mounted a spindle, I, in thelower end of which is secured the shank of the yarn-carrier J, in eachend of which is seen red one of the plates 7), each provided with ayarn-guiding eye, 0, as shown in Fig. 6.

The upper end of the hub G has formed thereon a cam-surface composed oftwo projecting points, d d, and two depressions, c e, and the spindle Ihas secured thereon, above said hub, a collar, K, the lower end of whichhas formed thereon a cam-surface the counterpart of the upper end of thehub G, and a spring, f, surrounds said spindle between said collar andthe capped end of the casing Hand serves to press said collar intoengagement with the hub G.

The axis ol'thc yarn-carrier coincides with or is in the vertical planewhich lies equidistant between the two sets of needles 9 and g and thetwo sets of fixed sinkers or work-holders h and h.

The spindle I has formed thereon a pinion, with which the toothed racksh and If, arranged in bearings in the block G-one upon each side of saidpinion engage, and as either of said racks is moved endwise asemi-rotation is imparted to the yarn-carrier spindle and the positionsof the yarn-guiding eyes are reversed.

lhe yarn-carrier carriage F is connected by the stand L to the rearneedle-reeiproeating cam-bar O,'so as to be reeiprocated thereby; or itmay be disconnected from said eam-bar and be reciproeated in any otherwell-known manner, but in unison with said canrbar.

M isone of the patteruchains for throwing into and out of action theneedles, and has an intermittent movementimparted thereto about the axisof the supporting-drum M, in any well-known manner. Two stands, 0, aresecured upon the bar E, one at each end, and in bearings formed thereinare mounted two bars, 1?, each having adjustably secured in one endthereof a stop-pin, 41. So far the devicesshown in this case aresubstantially the same as shown and described in Letters PatentNo.371,564, before referred to, and in Letters Patent No. 371,562, grantedto me October 18,1887.

The object of my present invention is to automatically adjust thestop-pins i, so that each of said stops shall act upon the same rackbar,it or h when knitting tubular work, so that a single stop-pin, t, ateither end of the machine shall alternately act upon both rackbars h andh when it is desired to knit a single flat web or section, as the heelor toe bulge of a stocking, or so that neither stop will act upon eitherrack-bar, as when it is desired to knit two fiat webs or sections 'offabric, one upon each set of needles. Tothis end I form in the underside of each of the bars P a series of rack-teeth, j, with which theteeth of the spur gear-wheel Q, engage to impart'motion thereto whenrotated.

The hub of the gear Q has secured thereon the pinion B, with which thesegmental gear on the front end of the lever S engages, while theopposite end of said lever has set in its under side a tooth, 70, whichrests upon an endless chain, '1, mounted upon the chain-wheel T, firmlysecured upon the shaft T", and to which an intermittent movement isimparted by means of the ratchet-wheel U, the pawl l, the lever m, thecam V, the spur gear-wheel W, and the pinion X, mounted upon thedriving-shaft Y.

The chains T are formed of links having projecting teeth a, which serveas cams to act upon the teeth of the levers S to raise the rear endsthereof, and thus cause a partial rotation of the pinion R andgear-wheel Q, and a consequent endwise movement of the stopbars P, saidlevers S being moved in the opposite direction by the springs Q.

The chains T are both composed of a series of links corresponding inlength and number, but of various patterns, some having one, some two,some three, and some no cam projections, n, and said projections arearranged upon each chain, and the two chains are set upon theirchain-wheels in different positions, according to the desired movementsto be given to the stop-bars P at the two ends of the machine.

It is obvious that pattern-cam wheels may be used instead of the chainsT by making them of considerable size, and therefore I do not wish to belimited in my claims to a chaincam.

Any other well-known locking device may be used for locking the yarncarrier at the conclusion of each semi-rotation thereof in connectionwith my automaticallymovable reversing-stops without affecting theprinciples of my invention.

A reciprocating and reversible yarn-carrier,

a single rack, and movable stops for operating the same are describedand claimed in Letters Patent No. 371,503, before referred to, and thesame parts, with an additional rack for revolving the yarncarrier and adevice for looking said carrier, are described and claimed in LettersPatent No. 371,564, hereinbefore referred to, and hence I do not claimin this application anything claimed in said Letters Patent; but

WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. The combination, in a knitting-machine, of two straight and parallelrows of reciprocating needles, a reciprocating yarn-carrier having twoyarn-guiding eyes and constructed and arranged to be semi-rotated orhave its ends reversed, and thereby transfer each yarn carried therebyfrom one row of needles to the opposite row of needles at each end ofits traverse, the reversing mechanism having provision for acting uponsaid yarn-carrier to reverse it, adjustable stops for controlling theoperation of the said reversing mechanism, pattern cams to control theposition of the said stops to automatically effect the reversal of theyarn-carrier at predetermined times, and mechanism, substantially asdescribed, connecting said adjustable stops and cams.

2. The two parallel rows of needles, means having provision forreciprocating said needles, a reciprocating yarn-carrier having two yarn-guiding eyes arranged upon opposite sides of its axis of revolution,and a rack and pinion for reversing said yarn-carrier, com bined with apair of movable stops, one at each end of the machine, to operate saidrack, and pattern-cams to move the said stops into and out of the pathof said rack, according as it may be desired to reverse saidyarn-carrier to cross each yarn from one set of needles to the other orto deliver the same yarn to the ITO same set of needles for two or morecourses in succession.

3. The two parallel rows of needles,means having provision forreciprocating said needles, a reciprocating and reversible yarn-carrierhaving two yarn-guiding eyes arranged upon opposite sides of its axis ofrevolution, a pinion, and two rack-bars engaging there with uponopposite sides for reversing the said yarn-carrier,combined with twomovable stops for operating said racks, and patterncams for moving saidstops from the path of one rack-barto the path of the other rackbar, andvice versa, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The twoparallel rows of needles, means having provision forreciprocating said needles, a reciprocating and reversible yarn-can rierhaving two yarn-guiding eyes arranged erate said reversing mechanism orto prevent upon opposite sides of its axis of revolution, theoperationof saidreversing mechanism, ae-

the yarn-carrier-reversing mechanism having cording to the work to bedone.

provision for acting upon said yarncarrier to In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 15 5 reverse the same, and the locking mechanism tothis specification, in the presence of two subhaving provision forretaining the said yarnscribing witnesses, on this 1st day ofSeptemcarrier in position at the conclusion of each ber, A. D. 1.887.

semi-rotation thereof, combined with apair of \VILLIAM ESTY. movablestops arranged one at each end of the Vitnesses:

to traverse of said yarn-carrier, and pattern-cams N. O. LOMBARD,

for moving the said stops into position to op- XVALTER E. LOMBARD.

